6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A satirical adaptation of the popular 70's animated series, a three member girl group find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy to deliver subliminal messages through popular music in this send up of the music industry and pop culture.
Starring: Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid, Rosario Dawson, Alan Cumming, Parker PoseyComedy | 100% |
Teen | 32% |
Music | 16% |
Comic book | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.84:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Josie and the Pussycats is the live action version of, well, Josie and the Pussycats. It is the 2001 film adaptation of the classic 1970s animated series about...all sorts of things, and eventually, the animated series led to a follow-up series titled Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space. That is to say that the film adaptation has plenty of room to finagle a story all its own for its big screen debut, so the target is, here, gross commercialization and consumer manipulation in the modern age. It's an adequate film, even if it's about as rote and assembly line-made and pandering and all into the marketing and the very sort of commercialization it purports to speak out against. But with a spunky band and spirited music, it overcomes the trite themes and manufactured feel to provide audiences with a serviceable, and very tongue-in-cheek, look at the modern "music" industry.
If ever there was a Blu-ray that could be the textbook entry for a "middling" transfer, this might be it. Mill Creek releases Josie and the Pussycats to Blu-ray with a well depleted 1080p transfer. It's clearly one of those old Univeral masters suitable for standard definition but not really capable of delivering a Blu-ray at 1080p with any measure of visual fidelity or success. The image is lackluster, offering a processed look that robs it of its inherent film-like look, resulting in a flat, lifeless picture with "sharp" details but not that sought-after natural filmic sharpness. Rather, it's a victim of digital manipulation to reduce grain and give the movie a more digitized appearance. Colors are flavorless as well, lacking anything even remotely resembling zip, vividness, and fullness. That's a shame, because this is an abundantly colorful film that unfortunately looks very dull in every single shot. Black levels are not particularly attractive, whites are bland, and skin tones are lifeless. The image is at least free of all but a few cursory pops and speckles and there's not a ton of compression related issues, but this is certainly a very unflattering transfer from Mill Creek.
The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is more in line with expectations, offering big musical engagement with fierce guitar riffs, total stage saturation, and excellent bass, not to mention clear vocals. Of course, in the style of the era, it's very big and maybe a little over engineered, playing for impact rather than absolute realism, but it's a fun track. The music is definitely the highlight here, but there are some impressive location ambient effects that nicely pull the listener into the film as well. Dialogue is clear and centered for the duration while also holding to very good prioritization, even in some of the louder scenes.
In a rarity for a Mill Creek Blu-ray release, Josie and the Pussycats includes a fairly large assortment of supplemental content. No DVD or
digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.
Josie and the Pussycats is a lukewarm film with big ideas that are reduced to amplified cliche. It works as a thoughtless picture about a thoughtful topic, but ultimately it amounts to little more than disposable entertainment, even if it seems to dream a little bit bigger. Mill Creek's Blu-ray presentation is middling, offering merely passable, at best, video. Audio is good enough and there are, surprisingly, several extras on the disc. Worth a look on a very steep sale.
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